1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of polymeric bags. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements in the construction and manufacture of drawstring-type polymeric bags, especially polymeric trash bags.
2. Description of the Related Art
Polymeric bags are ubiquitous in modern society. As a natural result of the widespread adoption and use of polymeric bags, the bags are available in a variety of different combinations of materials, capacities, thicknesses, dimensions and colors. Polymeric bags may be used in numerous ways including for long-term storage, food storage and trash collection. In response to consumer demand, manufacturers of polymeric bags have developed several innovations over the years to improve the utility and performance of polymeric bags. The present invention is of particular interest to the use of polymeric bags for trash collection and the methods for securely closing and carrying such trash bags, as well as applying such bags to trash receptacles.
While the polymeric trash bags available to consumers are available in a variety of different configurations, certain configurations are designed to cater to certain uses and particular segments of the population. When considering the utility of polymeric trash bags, one issue of primary concern to both consumers and manufacturers is how the consumer can securely close and carry the trash bag after filling the bag with debris. Securing the trash bag is of critical importance to containing the trash and other debris inside the trash bag when it is collected and transported. Over the years, the industry has developed several different methods for securely closing and carrying trash bags, each method having certain advantages and disadvantages.
A few common methods for securely closing and carrying trash bags are used in the vast majority of commercially-available trash bags. The most basic of these methods is to provide a twist-tie or similar strap to secure the top of the bag when it is bunched together. Another common method is to provide two or more flaps extending from the top of the trash bag which may be used for securely tying the top of the bag closed. A third common method for securely closing and facilitating carrying of a trash bag is to provide drawstrings near the top edges of the bag, generally located in the hems along the upper edges of the bag, which may be used to pull the upper opening of the trash bag closed.
One of the oldest methods for securing a trash bag is to provide a twist-tie to accompany the refuse bag. Twist-tie bags are usually straight-cut bags having an ordinary circular opening at the top of the bag. After the twist-tie bag is filled with trash and debris, the upper opening of the bag is bunched together and the twist-tie is used to hold the bunched up plastic at the top of the bag together to secure the bag for disposal. The twist-ties are typically constructed from a paper-covered semi-rigid wire, a self-securing plastic strap, or other materials. For the consumers, this method of closure can be inefficient, as the twist-ties need to be kept near the trash receptacle in a convenient location for securing the bag. Therefore, alternative solutions were developed which integrate the means for closing and securing the bag opening into the bag design itself.
The flapped bag, also known as a wave-cut bag, refers to a particular configuration of polymeric bags where the top edges of the bag are cut in a wave-like pattern to provide two or more flaps extending upward from the top of the bag. These flaps allow the user to tie the opposing flaps together thereby securing the contents of the bag inside. When the opposing flaps are secured, the tied flaps also provide a convenient handle for carrying the filled bag. Flapped bags are generally more desirable and easier to use than twist-tie bags, but many consumers still do not find them as desirable as drawstring trash bags for general household use.
Drawstring trash bags are a popular alternative to the previously described twist-tie and flapped trash bags. As the name suggests, drawstring bags utilize drawstrings, also known as drawtapes, which are incorporated into the bag design. A pair of drawstrings is enclosed within hems running along the top edges, or upper opening, of the trash bag. The drawstrings are attached to the bag by a pair of short seals located near the upper corners of the bag. The short seals are created through a combination of heat and pressure to weld the two drawstrings and the panels of the drawstring bag together. Generally it is desirable to minimize the size of the short seals so as to not use extra plastic, which does not add any capacity to the bag.
After the bag is filled with trash, the drawstrings can be pulled through a pair of cutouts in the hems. These drawstrings can be tied together, securing the trash and providing a handle for carrying the filled bag. Despite the increased complexity of drawstring trash bags, the growing demand for drawstring trash bags provides the impetus for improvements for such bags, including the improvements disclosed herein.
Despite the popularity of drawstring bags, such bags are not without some criticism. In particular, many consumers find that the drawstring bags are difficult to secure over the upper lip of a trash receptacle. Therefore, it would be desirable to offer a drawstring trash bag that makes it easier to place the top of the drawstring bag over a trash receptacle. While the fit of a conventional drawstring trash bag over the upper lip of the receptacle may be sufficient in some cases to keep the drawstring bag secured onto the trash receptacle, the drawstring bag may still have a tendency to fall into the receptacle as the bag is filled. In fact, it is not uncommon for the weight of the trash in the bag to pull the upper opening of the bag down into the trash receptacle. Without some mechanism to provide a drawstring that is secured over the upper lip of the trash receptacle, the drawstring bag will always have a tendency to fall into the receptacle as garbage is thrown into the bag. Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a drawstring that assists in securing the drawstring bag over the upper lip of a trash receptacle.
In the prior art, it was disclosed to utilize elastic materials as a component of the drawstring for a trash bag to provide a way to secure the upper part of the bag over the upper lip of a trash receptacle. In particular, prior art applications of elastic drawstring are disclosed which provide a pair of large notches at the upper corners of the bag used to pull the elastic drawstring outward from the sides of the bag. In such prior art embodiment, two elastic drawstring pieces are disposed within the hems which are the width of the upper edges of the trash bag. The two pieces of elastic drawstring are joined together at the respective ends of each drawstring to provide a continuous loop. Because of the elasticity of the drawstring, the continuous loop can be extended and fitted over the upper lip of a trash receptacle holding the bag in place. While this method may be effective in certain instances, it differs significantly from the typical configuration of a drawstring trash bag where the drawstring is pulled through the centrally located access cutouts along the upper edges of the bag. The awkward configuration of the prior art bag therefore detracts from its desirability.
Furthermore, the prior art elastic drawstring bag discussed above has disadvantages that make it less desirable in other respects as well. For example, the notches cut out of the top corners of the bag inherently result in substantial holes in the drawstring bag when closed for disposal. To better illustrate this point, the prior art bag can be compared to a traditional drawstring trash bag, the latter of which is closed by pulling the drawstrings through centrally located access cutouts. When the drawstrings are pulled through the centrally located access cutouts, the upper opening is reduced to a very small opening at the top of the bag. The small size of this single opening prevents smaller debris from falling out of the bag. Also, when the opposing drawstrings are tied together in a traditional drawstring trash bag, the drawstrings reduce the size of the hole and also cover the gap. In contrast, in the prior art elastic drawstring bags, the notches cut out of the upper corners of the bag result in substantial holes at the top sides of the bag when the drawstrings are pulled closed, which can result in debris and trash falling out. Furthermore, unlike the traditional drawstring trash bags, when the prior art elastic drawstring bag is tied, the tied drawstrings do not cover the substantial holes formed by the notches.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to offer alternatives to elastic drawstring bags known in the prior art. It would be desirable for the alternatives to not require the awkward action of pulling the drawstring out from the corners of the bag, but would still allow the bag to be easily placed over the upper edge of the trash receptacle. Furthermore, it would be desirable for the alternatives to not have substantial holes in the bag when the drawstrings are tied, or secured, together. Additionally, it would be desirable for the consumers to be able to access the elastic drawstrings through access cutouts centrally located along the top of the bag as consumers are accustomed to with non-elastic drawstring trash bags. The present invention is intended to address these issues and desires.